More rubbish ideas

The government has decided in its infinite dumbness to halve rubbish collections in much of the country.

Unsurprisingly, people have started arranging their own rubbish removals. Until today, I was unaware of the existence of environmental crime officers. But apparently, they exist.

The Environment Agency is setting up a special intelligence unit to tackle the illegal rubbish disposal gangs.

Graham Holdsworth, an environmental crime officer with the agency, said: "This is becoming a key issue. We are experiencing increasing problems and we need more people on the scene. There is a huge difference between local sporadic fly-tipping, which is directly related to the rubbish collection, and organised environmental crime which is similar to drugs trafficking."

Similar to drugs trafficking? No, it isn't. You simply cannot compare someone dumping rubbish illegally to a person who brings illegal drugs into the country.

Once again, a massive overreaction by some buffoon who works for the state.

You can wipe out these illegal dumpers with one easy move (unlike drug trafficking): reinstate weekly rubbish collections.

We don't need an English Parliament - we have the UK one

Iain Dale argues in The Daily Telegraph that David Cameron will now have to support some measure of devolution for England and, therefore, an English parliament.

Iain says that "An English Parliament need not result in more politicians, bureaucracy or spending."

It need not but if it comes to pass it certainly will. Our council taxes will go up to pay for yet another unnecessary layer of bureaucracy and yet more professional politicians who can't seem to make a living in the real world.

If you believe in the Union then it is time to abolish the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland parliament and assemblies. The strength of this country lies in unity and the union and splitting it only serves those in Europe who would prefer England not to exist at all.

Bring back the poll tax

Following the abolition of the rates, we had the community charge or poll tax. That helped to bring down Margaret Thatcher. In 1991 John Major introduced the council tax and the bills have been rising steadily and sometimes not so steadily each year.

In London my bill contains precepts for the local council, the police and the London Assembly. As I have pointed out before the London Assembly was sold as costing the average Band D payer about 3p a week or £1.50 a year. It currently costs me more than £300 a year for what I believe is an unnecessary layer of government.

The poll tax was described as unfair because the duke in his castle pays the same as the widow in her hovel.

At first glance this may indeed seem unfair. But the council tax pays for the local council and the services it provides. If the duke pays double what the widow pays, does that mean that his bins are emptied twice as often? If he is burgled, do the police double their efforts to catch the criminals? If his castle catches fire, does the fire brigade turn up twice as quickly? If his children go to a local school (unlikely I know) do they get a better education? If he is ill, does the doctor come out or does he get seen in half the time at the local hospital? (Again, unlikely I know because he would have private education for his children and private health care for his family.) What do you think?

It could even be argued that those who have private health care or send their children to private schools should receive a reduction in their council tax because they are not "using" all the services.

The reason council tax bills are so high is because they have to pay for all the unnecessary staff hired by councils.

If local councils spent their, sorry our, money on schools, hospitals, the police, and keeping the streets clean, bins emptied and paid councillors an allowance (as they used to), council tax bills could be slashed.